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Altered expression of HLA class I antigens in breast cancer: Association with prognosis
Author(s) -
Guđmundsdóttir Ingibjörg,
Gunnlaugur Jónasson Jón,
Sigurđsson Helgi,
Ólafsdóttir Kristrún,
Tryggvadóttir Laufey,
Ögmundsdóttir Helga M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0215(20001120)89:6<500::aid-ijc6>3.0.co;2-#
Subject(s) - breast cancer , human leukocyte antigen , antigen , immunology , medicine , oncology , cancer , biology , cancer research
Loss of surface expression of class I major histocompatibility antigens is commonly observed in malignant tumors and has been considered one of the mechanisms for escape from cytotoxic T cells. However, natural killer cells kill cells lacking HLA class I antigens. In the present study, we characterized by immunohistochemistry the HLA class I expression of breast carcinomas from 187 patients with TNM stages I and II, diagnosed 1981–1984, using β 2 ‐microglobulin as a marker and evaluated the effect on survival with a follow‐up of up to 14 years. The largest group (48%) consisted of HLA class I–negative tumors (≤10% of cells stained), mixed expression (>10% and <80% of cells stained) was seen in 36% and only 15% were classified as HLA class I–positive (≥80% cells stained). No associations could be established with various clinicopathological parameters, such as tumor size, presence of lymph node metastases, histological grade, expression of hormone receptors, S phase and p53 mutations. There was no effect on recurrence‐free survival in the whole group; but among node‐negative patients (n = 86), those who had tumors with mixed HLA class I expression had a significantly higher probability of disease recurrence (OR = 3.42, p = 0.014) than patients with either HLA class I–positive or –negative tumors, particularly after more than 5 years. In node‐positive patients who received adjuvant therapy, this phenotype was not associated with disease recurrence. Int. J. Cancer 89:500–505, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.